Azmin: Legal letters sent to Suara Keadilan, Hishamudin Rais

(MM) – Azmin Ali has confirmed an initiation of legal proceedings against two Suara Keadilan editors and activist Hishamuddin Rais over what the PKR deputy president said is a highly defamatory article.

Azmin said letters of demand were sent two weeks ago to the party organ’s editors, Najib Hashim and Zulkiflee Anwar Haque (Zunar), as well as Hishamuddin, over a February 11 article published by the paper.

“The article was written by Hishamuddin Rais. I am used to attacks, but the contents of this article was very malicious and defamatory.

“I have a right to clear my name, so my lawyer sent out three letters of demand,” Azmin told The Malay Mail Online via telephone interview.

According to the Gombak MP, both Najib and Zulkiflee have responded and have also published an apology in last week’s edition of the paper.

But he said Hishamuddin has yet to reply to the legal letter.

Azmin said he will be meeting with his lawyer today to study the replies by Najib and Zulkiflee and to see whether there was a need to take it to court.

“That is why PKR  formed a special committee. I mean this is our party organ, this is very serious,” the PKR man added.

Yesterday, PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail acknowledged that the matter was discussed in the party’s last central leadership committee meeting, leading to the formation of a 5-man panel led by publicity chief Dr Muhammad Nur Manuty.

Suara Keadilan is PKR’s official party newsletter.

Saifuddin said that the committee will meet with the paper’s editors as part of a fact-finding mission before taking any further action.

Azmin was reportedly aggrieved by the February 11 article that described him as subscribing to “Ketuanan Melayu” (Malay Supremacy).